This American Life
The Peabody Award-winning public radio series that combines journalism with opinion, fiction and biography becomes this highly anticipated six-episode series hosted by Ira Glass, from executive producer Christine Vachon ("Boys Don't Cry," "One Hour Photo").
- Metascore79
- 2007-2026
- 2 seasons
- Showtime Networks
- Documentary
- TV-14
The Peabody Award-winning public radio series that combines journalism with opinion, fiction and biography becomes this highly anticipated six-episode series hosted by Ira Glass, from executive producer Christine Vachon ("Boys Don't Cry," "One Hour Photo").
Season 2 Episode Guide
7 Episodes 2008 - 2009
Episode 1
Escape
Sun, May 4, 2008 29 mins
Teenage boys find ways to impress girls using a mode of transport obsolete since the 19th century; a young man's fight for independence from his mother would be normal for most kids, except for some special circumstances.
Episode 2
Two Wars
Sun, May 11, 2008 28 mins
Two foreigners in the U.S., in the aftermath of two very different wars, try to make sense of life here.
Episode 3
Going Down in History
Sun, May 18, 2008 30 mins
A pair of convicts almost escape prison using dental floss; high school students pose for yearbook snapshots, which capture nothing of the drama in their lives; a man with a 30-year obsession with one particular bird.
Episode 4
Fighters
Sun, May 25, 2008 26 mins
Two boxers in Tennessee who've known each other all their lives face off in a match that neither can afford to lose.
Episode 5
Scenes from a Marriage
Sun, Jun 1, 2008 30 mins
Tales of troubled marriages include an animated true story by cartoonist Chris Ware; and a real-life look at a husband whose legal obsession causes serious trouble with his spouse.
Episode 6
John Smith
Sun, Jun 8, 2008 51 mins
The true life stories of several Americans with the name John Smith, from an 11-week-old boy whose parents expected a girl, to a 46-year-old Texan, welcoming his son home from Iraq.
Episode 7
No Respect
Fri, May 29, 2009 29 mins
A bonus second-season edition comprised of material produced for the This American Life web site, a look at comedians and their audiences includes segments about unknown comics performing for a rowdy crowd at a club in the middle of nowhere, and a piece about Mike Birbiglia, a standup with a scathing routine about his worst gig ever.
